The collection of former councillors attending the civic heart council decision this week have been likened to ‘political zombies' by sitting councillor Steve Morris.

Steve was talking about the decision to lease or buy a new building, and referred to a legacy of neglect by previous councils.

Steve Morris referred to former councillors sitting in the back of a council meeting as 'political zombies” on Tuesday. File photo.

(Council staff were evacuated from the Willow Street administration building on health and safety grounds in December 2014 following a stachybotrus mould outbreak.)

'What's really given additional impetus to looking at the lease option basically the track record of maintaining these buildings,” says Steve.

'I think the poor maintenance, the patch up jobs over the years the, remediation in between 2001, and 2004.

'Given that there's a number of those who were trusted with the governance of this city standing again, sort of like political zombies at the gates - I think it's quite important the city isn't left with that sort of legacy again.

'I quite frankly don't trust the ability, given the track record, to maintain its buildings properly. Another strong point for a lease in my view.”

Steve has an open mind about the lease or buy option facing the council, saying the decision this week doesn't commit the council.

Some former councillors have been likened to "political zombies" at a recent meeting this week.

The decision was a budget allocation for the Long Term Plan, The procurement approach may change according to value, says Steve.

Without taking the legacy issues into account, the price difference in the lease or build option was, 'less than one third of a tropical display house”, says Steve.

Mayoral candidate Steve Morris.

Steering committee chair Gail McIntosh says they took legal advice over the decision – whether it should be made by the current council, or passed on to the incoming council.

'We had people privately and publicly saying, ‘hey leave it to the next council, it's not far away',” says Gail.

'The fact is, we've heard all the submissions from the public. We've heard all the reports, we've got traction, make the decision. Lease, buy, we have the all the information to make the decision.

'It's not actually a hard decision I find. The process, yes. We would all do it differently. Half of us have been in business, some in private business and some in public business. We would all write reports differently, communicate things differently. We have just got to go with the flow and say this is how we have chosen to do it this time,” says Gail.

'The productivity gains the council will get out of the new building will outweigh the costs of providing that building.”